


To Bond

by cosplaykisses



Series: Tales From The Tent: A Condette Collection [1]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Blood, Blood Drinking, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, F/F, Fluff, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Tieflings, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 16:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18577798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosplaykisses/pseuds/cosplaykisses
Summary: They'd fallen for one another almost upon first sight, but Odette has an idea to bring them even closer.





	To Bond

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first original story I'm posting on AO3, but me and my friends have such an extensive world for our D&D characters that I had to start pumping out fics. If you want to know more about these characters, or any others that I may post, let me know and I'd be happy to provide!! Who know, I may make a chapter thing. You can also find appearances and maybe even voices for any characters mentioned on my tumblr at https://cosplaykissesart.tumblr.com/ !!

Constance remembered everything from that night, clear as crystal. The intoxication levels of those around her, the way she was approached seemingly out of nowhere, the smell of ash and cinder, closely followed by the aroma of what was unmistakably pine, and the uncharacteristic choice to actually leave the bar with the woman she’d spoken to only once. She was tall and deep in hue, her eyes black as obsidian, but softer than silk. The confidence that she carried with her rivaled that of the star singers at Rock Bottom, but that would be expected of a bard. Something about the honey-sweet compliments that lathed across her lips made Constance feel a beat in her chest again, and it frightened her. Her name, this woman’s  _ name _ , was what got caught in her throat.  _ Odette Celestine. _ It was ethereal and mesmerizing, fitting for her.

That night, Odette had swept Constance off of her feet. A lonely, vampiric linguist from a small and bigoted village in the French countryside with nothing to her name, suddenly was being shown a whole new side of the world that she’d never known before. For, you see, Odette was not only a travelling sword and a gifted musician, but she was the ringmaster of her very own travelling circus. When their carriage had stopped, and Odette opened the door for her companion, Constance was nearly blinded by the glowing lights and the music that raged on from inside that red and purple-striped tent. From fire-breathers to sword-swallowers, she would have never expected to find joy in something that had been considered so childish. But she did, and she wanted more. 

It wasn’t for another few weeks that Constance actually realized that this tiefling woman was genuinely interested in her for more than a one-night stand, and it took her longer than that to come clean about her feelings. Luckily, Odette was more than happy to wait for Constance to give the O-K to continue. She was patient, and she was kind; something that Constance was in need of from the get-go. Soon enough, the two of them were falling head over heels for each other, desperate to stay by the other’s side day and night. Constance had fully embraced her new relationship, to the point where she inquired about joining Odette’s circus. Her lover was ecstatic to see a woman as shy as her little vampire want to become part of such a boisterous family. She obliged, quickly, and Constance had finally fit into her place: a silk dancer, to match the grace and beauty Odette insisted that she had.

Today, however, was different. She’d spent nearly every day with Odette; the tiefling had, admittedly, been a little wary when it came to letting Constance out of her sight, like as soon as she left her side, she would disappear and never come back. Though, it wasn’t like the vamp actually minded. She actually loved all the attention she was getting, but she’d never let her significant other know that. No, instead of waking up next to Odette that morning, she was greeted with a small cup of warm water and her tablets already set out for her breakfast. She didn’t need sleep, of course, but a nap every now and then was welcome. She reached for the cup, dropping each dark, crimson tablet into the water to dissolve; a note rested by the bedside in Odette’s scratchy handwriting. 

 

_ “Ash will be here around noon to take you for a bit of a shopping spree, on me. Get a new dress, a new hat, maybe something snazzy for our favorite little bird boy. Have fun, my little lady. I’ll see you tonight. _

_ -O.” _

 

Well, that was different. Since when was she not greeted in a shower of kisses, or the sound of Odette cooking on the portable burner, or even her directing her troupe outside in the morning sun? Either way, she stood from her cozy little spot on the bed and gave a stretch. Nine-hundred year old bones were creaky at best, so making sure they were good and ready for the day was crucial. With the door to the tent still drawn shut, she was able to freely move about and dress herself within their shared domesticity. It wasn’t long after that the tent flaps were thrown open unceremoniously, and Constance was greeted by a newly-fanged, familiar face.

“Constance!” Ash shouted, smiling his normal, cheerful smile. “I hope you’re ready for what I’ve got on the menu today, because HOO-BOY. First we’re goin’ outfit shoppin’, then we’re stopping at a new vampire-EXCLUSIVE diner that opened up downtown, and then we’re--”

“Ashen Paletree, slow down.” She giggled. “You’re going to swallow your own tongue if you keep talking so quickly. Let’s just take it as we go, shall we? Besides, not to be ungrateful, but why are you taking me out to do all of this?”

Ash pressed a hand to his chest, mock-offended. “Are you saying that I can’t work with my best friend’s girlfriend to do something super nice for her? Out of the blue? Constance, I’m  _ appalled. _ ”

“I never said that, numbskull.” She shook her head gently, walking forward to wrap her arms around Ash’s shoulders in a hug. “I was just curious. It’s out of the ordinary for me, that’s all. Let’s get going, shall we? I wish I could’ve said goodbye to Odette before we left, but… She said I’d see her tonight. Maybe she’s caught up in her work again.”

“You know how she gets.” Ash smiled, leading Constance to his carriage from the shade of his umbrella. “A workaholic, she is. C’mon now, it’s dead-people fun time! In you go, c’mon, let’s go!” He hurried, neither of their grins fading.

 

\--------------

 

Several ‘wrong turns’, window shopping sessions, actual shopping sessions, and blood tastings later, Ash had finally decided to return Constance back to the comfort of her tent. Despite being a performer, she’d always been an introvert, and being out in public for so long was mentally exhausting to her. She had fun, of course, but she was looking forward to some quality time with her girlfriend for the night.

When Ash had brought the carriage up to their shared tent, Constance noticed a vast difference in atmosphere. It was as if every other performer had turned in early, their lanterns were snuffed and it was quiet on the campus. She stepped out of her ride with the bags of gifts she’d been given that day, only for Ash to shout a “Have fun!” before taking off again. That made Constance even more nerve-wracked than she already was. Taking ginger steps up to the entrance, she noticed a soft glow flickering beneath the canvas walls. 

“Odette?...” She called, opening the tent’s door just enough to allow her entry. What she saw before her made her eyes go a bit wide, and she felt that singular beat in her chest again. There were small tea candles littering the floor in a uniform trail up to their bed, and perched atop with her long legs crossed, guitar in hand, was Odette. She had let her hair down from it’s braided confine, letting those ebony waves curtain in droves over her shoulders and off of the edge of the bed. Long and pointed fingernails, all but two on each hand, plucked at the brass-plated strings of her guitar. Her voice was delicate and drifted along the breeze that found its way into the tent. Constance could see exactly why she was so good at incorporating music into her magic: it was enchanting, anyone with a heart (being live or dead) could recognize that fact. If she was capable of it, Constance would be shedding tears. Only when she was sure Odette’s song was finished, and Constance had reached where she sat on their bed, did she decide to speak.

“Did you make Ash take me out for the day so you could set all this up?”

“Of course not, you think I need his help distracting you?” Odette chuckled, taking one hand from her instrument to take Constance’s own. “I genuinely wanted to treat you. I need to make sure my pretty little vampire gets everything she wants. That, and… I needed to find a few things for this next part.”

Constance looked a bit confused at that, and Odette began to shift again. “What do you mean?”

“How long have we been together now Constance? A year, longer than that?” Odette asked, placing her guitar on its stand, only to reach for a thin, cherrywood box sitting behind her.

Constance nodded in response. “Oui. About a year and a half now. The happiest year and a half of my life, since we’re being cheesy.”

“Believe me, if I wanted to be cheesy, I’d have busted out the red carpet and sang out shitty show tunes to you. Fireworks, red roses, a whole declaration of our love. Would have been Oscar-worthy,  _ Tony _ -worthy even. But, no. This is between you and me, my dear. Now, I know you said you prefer not to feed from live victims, but… I had a chat with Ash, a while back, and he said that according to the Raven Queen, feeding for vampires can be a good bonding experience, whether they turn their victims or not. I--” She huffed. “What I’m trying to say, is that if you’re willing--”

“Odette…” She murmured, placing a hand over her lips. “I-I can’t do that, the risk of you turning is too great, you could end up like me and I can’t do that by accident…”

“Don’t worry, that’s why I have this.” She replied, opening that little box in her palms. It contained a small dagger, the blade a polished silver and sharp to the touch, only to be adorned by a jet black pommel, with a black leather grip to match. “I got it on my last trip to Waterdeep. Whether it was acquired through legal terms, that’s another story, but! 

All I have to do is make a line big enough and deep enough to bleed through, and you can drink without sinking your fangs into me. Therefore, no poison, therefor, no turning. I thought this through, darling, I promise you.”

Constance swallowed the lump in her throat, and she nodded her head. “A-Alright… But if I end up losing control--”

“You won’t.”

“But if I  _ do _ \--”

“You  **won’t.** ”

Constance could see the seriousness in her lover’s eyes, and the words she spoke next were what made her melt, and helped ready her for this. “I trust you.”

She smiled gently, and moved to cup her hands on either side of Odette’s cheeks, leaning down to place a deep and tender kiss on her violet lips. She remained there for a while, savoring Odette’s taste, and the fiery feeling of warm skin against her own icy cold. She didn’t open her eyes, but she could feel her lover move the box from her lap, making room for Constance to take her seat, and she did. She straddled Odette in an attempt to get closer, and the larger’s arms snaked around her waist to pull her into a tighter embrace. 

Blindly, the vampire reached between them to remove the brackets of her corset, letting it drop to the floor behind her with practiced ease, and her hair came down from her wound-up bun to blanket her ashy pale shoulders. She wanted to be as relaxed as could be for this, and seeing as Odette was already in just a sports bra and shorts, it was only fair for Constance to do the same. The tiefling took this opportunity to let her heavy hands wander along her lover’s skin, caressing incoherent patterns into her sides, and gently scraping faint trails into her curves with her pointed nails. It made Constance shiver. As a member of the undead, despite being able to feel the intensity of pain, she was thankful that she could feel pleasure at such an intensity as well. It was a blessing in this case.

With a soft huff of breath as they seperated, Constance let her eyes flutter and eventually open. She was always in a daze after a kiss like that. Odette was one step ahead of her, however, and was already reaching for the dagger. Her empty hand guided Constance’s own to hold her wrist, only for the other to follow suit on the crook on her forearm. “You ready?” She murmured, her forehead pressing firmly to Constance’s.

“As long as you are.” She cooed.

“I was born ready.” Odette chuckled, slowly digging the point of the dagger into her arm. She grunted a bit at the initial bite of the blade, but mellowed out once the cut had been made. It wasn’t very large, and once it healed it wouldn’t be noticable, but just the sight of an open wound made Constance’s pupils dilate. It had been so long since she’d had to drink  _ fresh _ blood, and now it was being offered up to her on a silver platter. It was obvious she was holding back the urge to jump Odette, and a deep growl rumbled in her chest, animalistic and primal. With a caress to her cheek from the woman below her, that was all the permission she needed. Slowly, but eagerly, Constance leaned forward to lap at the spilling red liquid that dripped from the wound.

It was hot, boiling almost, but such was to be expected from a tiefling. She mewled at the taste, only to wrap ruby lips around the open cut. She drank from her lover thankfully, and she admitted only to herself that this experience was better than any humane substitute she’d ever had as a way to control her cravings. She was grateful to be able to share this moment with Odette of all people, to bond them yet again.

As Constance drank, Odette peppered kisses and nuzzles along Constance’s cheek and shoulders, reassuring her and telling her that she was alright, she could stop when she felt it was right, to take her time. It was comforting for the both of them. Odette honestly trusted Constance to be able not to drain her dry, and Constance held up on that end. She pulled away after just a few minutes, placing a porcelain palm over the wound in order to stifle the intoxicating smell. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and she rested her forehead against Odette’s once more. She was sated and full.

The tiefling relaxed for a moment, feeling a bit lightheaded, but nothing too terrible. She gingerly plucked Constance from her place, much to her dismay, only to quickly run and dress her cut. “I can’t be bleeding all over the bed, dearest. Give me just a few minutes. Tsk, tsk. So impatient…” She teased. Constance had scooted back into the bed and beneath the covers, waiting for her love to return to her. It was comforting to her to feel the weight press into Odette’s side of the bed, and a warm hand now brushed through her hair.

“You’re so beautiful, you know that?” Odette asked, her voice barely audible, as if she were talking to herself.

“You tell me every day, it’s hard for me to forget, mon amour…” She teased, scooting closer to snuggle up against Odette’s chest. “But thank you anyway. I like hearing it from you.”

“Well, I’m glad you do, because I like saying it to you.”

They stayed that way for hours that night, curled in each other’s embrace as they talked sweet nothings to each other, whispering I love you’s and letting honey-sweet praises pass from lip to lip with a kiss. Eventually, Odette had fallen asleep with Constance on her chest, as usual. Constance was happy, for the first time in just under a millennium. Being with Odette was like meeting her that night in the bar for the first time every day: she had new surprises, new jokes, new experiences to share… But most importantly, Odette swept her away every single day, and made Constance fall for her more and more as time went on. She was madly in love, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Character Credits:  
> -Odette Celestine: @kaztato / @kaz-arts on tumblr  
> -Ashen Paletree: @marvolus_moron on instagram  
> -Constance Moreau: All me baybee


End file.
